Skilled technicians (N=128) working under an assigned goal setting program were studied to learn about the moderating impact of education on relationships between performance and six goal setting properties. Speculation is advanced as to why education is an important moderator variable for specific types of goal setting properties. (Author)

Relationships between cosmopolitan--local orientation and measures of job performance were examined for 150 technical employees in three architectural firms. Cosmopolitan orientation was positively related to supervisor ratings of following prescribed work hours and supervisor and co-worker ratings of impressing others. (Author)

Examined why individuals engage in exploratory activity in late adolescence and early adulthood. College students (N=106) completed measures of goal instability, career decision-making self-efficacy, and environmental and self-exploratory activity. Results suggest that self-efficacious beliefs about career decision making and goal-directedness are…

Usable responses on the Goal Instability Scale, Career Decision Profile, and other measures were obtained from 196 high school students. Decisiveness/indecisiveness was associated with career choice comfort level, occupational knowledge, and negative affect. Goal stability/instability was associated with self-efficacy and positive affect. (SK)

Examined age variance in the relationship of women's achievement needs and values to their participation in paid employment. Studied a cross-sectional sample of 1120 women, ages 22-64. Findings suggested that women's labor force participation is partially a function of the interaction between career and family task demands and values. (Author/JAC)

In a study of 10th graders (15 experimentals, 15 controls) and college freshmen (12 and 13), experimentals received the Time Perspective Modification Intervention, which helps link present behavior with future outcomes. Experimentals showed significant increases in future orientation, sense of continuity, and optimism and had more highly developed…

Finnish young adults (n=250) were surveyed at vocational school and 8 and 18 months after graduation. Those who emphasized work-related goals and progressed in achieving them were more likely to find relevant jobs. Those whose work was commensurate with their education thought their goals increasingly achievable and associated with positive…

We propose a model of vocational choice that can be used for analyzing and guiding the decision processes underlying career and job choices. Our model is based on research in behavioral decision making (BDM), in particular the choice goals framework developed by Bettman, Luce, and Payne (1998). The basic model involves two major processes. First,…

Utilizing a method of explicit comparison between students' measured characteristics and the measured characteristics of occupational norm groups, the results of this study showed students in the groups receiving feedback increased in the appropriateness of the occupational level of their first occupational choice. A delayed posttest indicated…

Studies regarding status aspirations among Mexican-American youth have presumed that life goals are integrated and congruent. An alternative line of inquiry is suggested which questions these assumptions and specifies types of conflicts that may arise among occupational, educational, and familial orientations. (Author)

Using longitudinal data on 343 young adults, the present study investigated the social ties involved in young adults' work-related goals, how these ties change during transition to working life, and whether social ties contribute to success in dealing with the transition. The results showed that goal-relevant social ties reflected changes in the…

A survey of 840 employees received 273 responses (43 percent from managers/executives) demonstrating that the importance placed on work and career and perceptions of motivating job characteristics were significantly related to 3 aspects of motivation: career identity, insight, and resilience. Other significant variables were managerial support,…

Eight Latino lesbian and gay (LG) youth were interviewed for this descriptive qualitative study. The purpose of this study was to examine the Latino LG youth career development process and to increase our understanding of how multiple identities intersect with each other and the career development process. Six themes emerged: knowing you are…

The relationships between four goal-setting attributes identified by factor analytic procedures and job satisfaction were investigated among 271 scientists and engineers at a nuclear research and development center. Positive relationships between the goal-setting attributes and satisfaction were found. (Author)